Can Melissa Gilbert win? These factors could decide

That was the question Tuesday following Melissa Gilbert’s surprise declaration of a 2016 congressional bid.

Even one day later, the former “Little House On the Prairie” star’s announcement remained big news — and not just within Michigan’s 8th Congressional District.

CNN, Fox News and the Huffington Post, among other national outlets, all reported the story while Detroit-area TV combed downtown Howell for reaction.

Closer to home, Gilbert’s announcement also ranked among the hottest trending stories so far this year on LivingstonDaily.com.

But does Gilbert have a chance?

That could boil down to four factors, one she already has, one she could get, one remains an obstacle and one — at this point — is up in the air.

In short, it’s name recognition, money, demographics and politics.

The first is the easiest.

“Name recognition is the big thing these days; if you have name recognition, that goes a long way,” Katelyn Beno said.

A recent Central Michigan University graduate, Beno is too young to have been a first-run “Little House” viewer. But she acknowledged Gilbert is no stranger, especially in Livingston County, where the Hollywood actress moved with husband and fellow actor Timothy Busfield in 2014.

“Who hasn’t heard of her?” asked Beno, working on her computer inside Uptown Coffeehouse in downtown Howell. “Especially around here.”

Gilbert made also made headlines earlier this summer with the revelation she owned $360,550 in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.

Despite a statement from Gilbert that she was working out a settlement, incumbent Rep. Mike Bishop’s staff jumped on Gilbert’s tax woes almost immediately.

There’s some evidence that issue may stick.

“Isn’t she the one with the tax problem?,” Eddy Kathousky asked when asked about Gilbert’s candidacy.

Yet, negative publicity might not matter in this celebrity-obsessed age.

“Will it matter? I think these days you could be caught in bed with a dead horse and it wouldn’t matter,” he said.

Money, however, does matter.

Two years ago, Bishop, R-Rochester, spent slightly more than $1 million to win the seat during his inaugural campaign.